Fluid transmission



u My 22, l945- J.' HEIIJLOF 2,375,431

FLUID TRANSMISSION Filed May 5, 1941 INVENJF OR. fosf'pf/ Hf/040#- Armen/fr Patented UNITED STATES PATENT oi-Elce` l, l actuar joseph rt. nacion, movieman., assign@ is Bendix Aviation Corporation, Detroit,-Micli., n corporation fof Delaware Application May s, 194i, serial No. 392,009

s claims (ci. sii-541i This invention'relates to fluid transmissions. and more particularly to turbo drives for motor vehicles.

Broadlv the invention corriprehends a` iiuid transmission including an impelleno. turbine ijon cooperation therewith; and a retractable reaction i member associated with the turbine and autothe reaction member is impaired to some extent because of frictional resistance between relatively movable parts during the initial movement of the member into the fluid circuit. y

'It has also been observed that the movement 'of the reaction member into and out of the iiuid circuit is accompanied by considerable thrust in both directions of movement, resulting, in shock and e. disagreeable click.

It is the aim oi the instant inventionto overcome these objections.

An' object of the invention is to provide means for eliminating frictional resistance introduced between relatively movable parts.

with the reservoir, and the aange has se. inlet port 24 and a discharge port it.

A ring 2t mounted on one side of the flange Y supports a fluid seal 30, and mounted on'the other side of the flandeis a pair of rings 32 and it. The former is internally splined, and the latter supports a bearins to and a huid seal it.

A torque converter indicated generally at it includesa housing it' having a ,concentrically disposed hub u suitably secured to the crank .shaft i2, and a hub t6 arranged in oppositely disposed relation to the hub di and embracins theduid seal ill. 'The housing ii has thereon a rind tear t8 foi-connection of a starter, not shown, and

iixedly secured to the? inner wall oithe `housing "is an impeller it including en outer shroud bi having arranged thereon marred blades til supporting an inner shroud tt.

A rotary pump indicated eeneraliv at bt in l cludes a housing til havine o. 'concentricalliv disposed internal sleeve iii and an eccentricaliv die posed chamber te, and the chamber has an. inlet port l! and a discharge port im, the latter com municating with the vortex chamber or the con@ vertel'. l A hub it suitably secured to the driving shaft ii has an axial bore, and fitted in this bore is a bearing it. The hub also has a'concehtrically disposed sleeve lt extended threuah o, cover plate I8 of the pump housingintothe chamber it of the pump, and the sleeve is deformed to provide a rotor ld,

A center shaft/8d supported for rotation on the bearings 38 and l2 has splined thereto a hub di has a concentric in connection with thedrawing forming a part ,I

of this specication, and in which- Fig. 1 is a view of a turbo torque converter, partly in section and partly broken away, and embodying the invention;

^ Fig. 2 is-an "enlarged fragmentary `view illustrating a ieatureor a. part of the invention; and4 Fig. 8 is a diagrammaticarview illustrating the i screwfor the reaction member.

Referring to the drawing for more speciiic `tie-U tails of the invention; I 0 represents the crank case of an internal combustion engine, and `l2 the crank shaft of the engine. The crank casehas normally closed as by a plug 20. The reservoir Vclutch member embraced bythe fluid seal it so as to inhibit seepl age of fluid from the housing t2. The shaft also bore, and tted in this bore isa bearing Il.

The hub 52l is held against displacement by a retaining ring 86 threaded on the shftfand the hub carries a. clutch member B8. A driven shaft 80 supported for rotation on the bearingbll has splined thereto for relative axial movement and lfor rotation with the shaft af hub 92 carrying e.

for cooperation with the clutch\ member Il.

The pump housing I0 is splined tothe center shaft 80, and a' turbine indicated generally at 8B is mounted upon the pump housing for rotation therewith. The turbine has two stages 9| and 100. As shown, the first stage of the turbine insecured thereto a. bell housing Il having therein' 'a reservoir IB provided with a filling opening i! "cludes an outer shroud |02 having arranged thereon spaced vanes |04 secured to' an inner shroud section IDI fixedlysecuredtoen inner f has a hollow dennen communicating directlyisis` snroudsection itl arranged adjacent the inner I I4 supporting an inner shroud section I I8 iixedly secured to the inner shroud section |08.

A sleeve I|8 slipped over the center shaft 80 and splined to the ring 32 is held against displacement by a retaining ring |20. The sleeve is supported in spaced relation to .the center shaft 80 and provides in conjunction therewith an annular passage |22 providingia communication between' y the discharge port 28 of the reservoir and -the' intake port88 of the pump. The sleeve |I8 has iixedly secured thereon a heavy sleeve |24 provided with externall threads |28J having beveled approaches |28, and a crownring |3||l in abutting relation to the sleeve |24 and adjacent the pump housing 80 has thereonv a ring piston |32, the purpose of whichwill hereinafter appear.

The sleeve ||8 also has thereon a needle bearing |34 supporting for slight rotation a sleeve |38 having on one end thereof short threads |38 shroud section 56 and the second stage of the turbine includes a web I I mounted Von the pump -housing 60, and an outer shroud |I2 secured to vthe -web having arranged thereon spaced Jvancs notched to provide dogs |40, and the'sleeve |36 has a. ange |42 having thereon a ring piston |44 in axial alignment with the ring piston |32. i

A shield |46 keyed tothe sleeve lI I8 conforms to the adjacent wall of the housing 42, and the shield has spaced openings therethrough for the vpassage of fluid from the housing through the hub 46 and intake port 24 into the reservoir, and fitted on the sleeve I I8 between the sleeve |36 and ystavate:

to the impeller because the differential in of the impeller and turbine now becomes less. l As the speed of rotation of the impeller increases, the energy` of the fluid increases .proportionately, and this increased energy of the fluid acting on the vanes of the turbine causes increase in speed of the turbine. As this increased speed approaches that of the impeller, the Aangle of the uid leaving the iirst stage 88 of the turbine'shifts from impinging on the faces of the reaction vanes |12 to imp'inge upon the backs of 'these vanes, causing the reaction member to spiral on the threaded sleeve |24 out of the iluid circuit onto the sleeve |38, and as the reaction member retract's, the guide vanes |18 carried on a shroud supported on the reaction vanes move in between the first and second stages of the turbine and. direct the ow'of iiuid from the iirst stage 88 of the turbine to the second stage |00 thereof, and under this condition the transmlssion functions as a fluid coupling. l Upon decrease in difference of the speed of rotation of the impeller and the turbine, the volunie of iluid delivered by the pump decreases proportionately. As an increased load is imposed on the turbine, the diilerential in speed increases,

and the pump delivers an increased volume of |50 has in its respective ends ring cylinders |58 and |80 for the reception of the oppositely disposed ring pistons |32 and |44, and spaced channels |62 connecting the cylinders have therein restrictions |84. In place of the restrictions, the` channels may have therein two-way valves or fluid. Concomitantly therewith, the ,angle of discharge from the first stage of the turbine shifts because of demand of torque ratio, and impinges on the face of the index varies |16, causing the reaction member to spiral into the iluid circuit,

Upon initial movement of the reaction member tending to spiral into the fluid circuit, the threads |52 on the carrier of the reaction member disengage the dogs |54 thereon from the dogs |40 `on the threads |38, and engage the 1;hreads'|38v on the sleeve |36 and advance thereon to the approaches |28 on the threads |28. The appreaches |28 serve to guide the threads |52 into engagement with the threads |26, and as the carrier advances on the threads |28 the reaction member |66' spirals into the fluid circuit.

Heretofore.n in this operation, during the `initial movement of the reaction member into the fluid circuit, frictional resistance to' the movep ment was encountered because of the reverse diany other suitable means for-control -of the ilow vof fluid through the channels.`

The ring |56 has thereon a reaction member |88. This reaction member includes a web |88 integra! with the ring |58. The web |88 has spaced openings |10 therethrough for the free passage of uid, and a plurality of vanes |12 mov able between the first and second stages of the turbine, and the vanes |12 have secured thereto a shroud |14 having thereon spaced guide vanes |18 .and the pump 58 and iluid to the impeller by the pump at a rate prosupporting a shroud |18.

l In a normal operation, assuming that the unit is filledl withiluid to its normal capacity', transmission of force from the'power plant to the crank shaft I2 results in driving the impeller 80 the consequent delivery of portionate to the speed of rotation ofthe crank shaft. The impeller energizes .the fluid, and the energy of the iluid is received on the vanes .con-5' stituting the rst stage 88 of the turbine. and on the reaction vanes |12 of the reactionl member.. causing rotation of the turbine.

This rotation 'of the turbine results in driving the' center-.shaft 80 and the driven shaft 80 clutched thereto. Upon 'rotation of the-center shaft, the housing of the pump 58 is driven, and.v

i accordingly, a smaller volume ofiluid .is delivered rections of rotation of the housing 42 and the 'l reaction member |68. This resulted in imposing material drag on the reaction member detrilmental to its efficiency. To eliminate this objectional feature, the instant invention contemplates interposing a stationary shield |46 between the" .housing 40 and the reaction member |86. The 4operation of the reaction member has been further improved by the bintroduction of snubbing action at each end of the stroke of the member. In the instant disclosure, this snubbing action takes the form of fluid pressure units such as ring cylinders andpistons.

' While this invention has been described incon- 4 nection, with certain rspeciiic embodiments, the

f principle involved is -susceptible of numerous other applications that will readily occur to personsv skilled in the art. Theinvention is. thereforato be limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims. L

Having thus described -the various features of the invention, .what I claim-as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I i I i. Ailuid. transmission comprising' arotatable housing, an impeller and a turbine in the h ou'sing providing in conjunction with one another a fluid'- circuit, means for supplying iluid to the circuit, a retractable reaction member rotatably movable into and out of the circuit, means sup ported in a fixed position between the housing and the member for shielding the member when in retracted position, and means for cushioning the reaction member in both directions of movement.

2. A iluid .transmission comprising a rotatable housing, an impeller therein, a turbine associated with the impeller and providing in conjunction therewith a fluid circuit. a reaction member adapted to spiral into and out of the circuit, a stationary shield between the housing and reaction member for reducing frictional resistance imposed on the reaction member during a part of the movement of the member into the circuit, and means for snubbing the movement of the reaction member in bothdirections,

\ 3. A iiuid transmission comprising an impeller,

a turbine providing in conjunction therewith a fluid circuit, a fixed support, a reaction member on the support movable into and out of the circuit, oppositely disposed interconnected cylinders carried by the member. and stationary pistons on .the support cooperating with the cylinders.

4. A uid transmission comprising an impeller, a turbine providing in conjunction therewith a fluid circuit, a fixed support, a reaction member on the support movable into and out of the circuit, oppositely disposed interconnected ring cylf inders carried by the member, and spaced ring pistons on the support adapted to be received by the cylinders.

5, A iiuid transmission comprising a; rotatable housing having therein primary means for energizing fluid and secondary means receiving energy from the fluid providing in conjunction with one another a vortex chamber, a ilxed support, guide means for the uid on the support operativeto move into and out of the chamber, stationary means for shielding the guide means while not in the chamber, and means carried by the guide means cooperating with means on the fixed support for cushioning the guide means in both direcl during initial movement thereof into the circuit, V

and means carried by the guide means cooperating with means on the fixed support for cushion-V ing .the guide means at the end of its stroke in both directions of movement.

7. .A iuid transmission comprising an impeller, a turbine providing in conjunction therewith a fluid circuit, a fixed support, a reaction member on the support operative toA move into and out of the circuit, oppositely disposedvinterconnected cylinders on the member, and pistons on the support adapted to cooperate with the cylinders to cushion the reaction member in both directions of movement.

8. A fluid transmission comprising an impeller, a turbine providing in conjunctiontherewith a fluid circuit, a fixed support, a reaction member on the support operative to'move into and out of the circuit, oppositely disposed cylinders on the member connected by a restricted passage, and pistons on the support adapted -to cooperate with the cylinders to cushion the reaction member in both directions of movement.

. JOSEPH R. HEIDLOFF. 

